GND-Blyth River

Not having much time on Tuesday I just headed along to the River Blyth but I had timed the rising tide wrong and it was already quiet high but the first bird I saw was the Great Northern Diver that's been around for a few days it was just offshore from the path taking advantage of the incoming tide bringing fish in to feed so that was as far as I got for the next 45 mins it had no trouble catching fish I saw it catch at least three but getting them down seemed more of a problem where as Cormorants flip there catch and its down in one this bird played around with it losing them on more than one occasion and I never did see it actually swallow any ,although it could have used the water to help it get them down?. Divers are common enough off our shores but not often you get a view like this so I made the most of it till it moved off to the far side . By this time  the tide was well up  most of the waders where on the far side including 84 Curlew with 8 Bar Tailed Godwits in with them no sign of the Black Tail's from the previous visit ,good numbers of Teal with 36 Shellduck a few Gadwall and Mallard . Thought I would call along the harbour before going home still some light left and perhaps the Iceland or Snow Buntings still around , 2 Med Gulls at the links car park gave me the opportunity to try some flight shots but this Canon camera is not much good for fast moving birds, plenty of gulls in the harbour the majority GBB with the light fading fast time for home and see what I had captured. 

 I took lots of video as it tried to wrestle with the fish but could still not work out what was going on

 Now time for a preen taking no notice of me

 GND has a great profile with that steep forehead and flat top

 3-4 Red Breasted Mergansers around also, I did not get to far up river

 2nd Winter Med Gull where else but the chip shop !!!

 I thought this was an fell adult ,but you can just see a trace of black on the primary

 me looking up as it sat on the lamp post

Boldon Flats- Ibis

The report of 2 Glossy Ibis still at Boldon Flats I thought its about time I went and see this place for myself ,so I went over via the Metro which stops at East Boldon about 3/4 mile away , first impressions where good most of the water can be viewed from the roadside and with the sun at your back , I did not take a scope with me on this my first visit but a scope is pretty much essential if you want to check through the Duck & Gulls . The 2 Ibis soon located in the nearby horse fields , the whole area is very wet so the birds are spoiled for choice as to where they feed and this they did pretty much all the time . A very pleasant afternoon spent both watching the birds and conversing with  the local birders and residents ,I was informed the birds came into roost about 4 but as this was a bright sunny day they did not arrive till just gone 4 :30 coming in fairly low and settling on a small island in the pool, it was over in a flash but worth waiting for , how often do you get to watch Glossy Ibis come into roost .

 The birds had flown from view and when I relocated them they where in a field adjacent to the Metro line and could have easily been seen from the train to Sunderland ,at least by those that did not have there eyes glued to a mobile !

 Boldon Flats backed by a housing estate on the one side and a road on the other no doubt I will be back  !!!